Page 11 of Forbidden Fruit

I show Holly, my excitement bubbling over. “See? Saturday night. That’s when it’s happening.”

Holly doesn’t look convinced, but she smiles anyway. “Then we better find you the perfect outfit.”

As we dig through my closet, I try to quiet the small voice of doubt whispering beneath my certainty. This time will be different. It has to be.

“What about this?” Holly holds a flowy white maxi dress with delicate lace detailing across the bodice.

“Too bridal,” I say, then laugh. “Save that for after the proposal.”

“Fair enough.” She tosses it aside and continues rummaging through my closet. “This red one is killer. You’d look like a walking heart attack.”

The dress in question is one I bought on impulse during a post-breakup shopping spree with Holly last year. Jack and I had one of our “breaks” – three weeks where he decided he needed space to “figure things out.” I returned from that shopping trip with the red dress and a newfound determination to be the kind of girlfriend he couldn’t walk away from.

He called the next day, and the dress has hung unworn in my closet ever since.

“Maybe,” I say, running my fingers over the silky material. “But isn’t red a bit... much?”

“That’s the point,” Holly says, pressing the dress against me. “You want him to look at you and think, ‘I need to lock this down immediately, or some other guy will.’”

I chew my lip, considering. “Kay said we’re having dinner at some fancy restaurant on the beach. Clive’s booking it.”

“Even better. Rich stepdad with connections means photographers, possibly. You want to look amazing in those engagement photos.”

My heart flutters at the thought. I picture it so clearly: Jack on one knee, me in this stunning red dress, the sunset painting us gold, the ocean a perfect backdrop. It would make a gorgeous save-the-date card.

“Okay,” I decide. “The red dress it is.”

Holly grins triumphantly and lays it carefully in my suitcase. “So, who is going on this trip? Just you, Jack, Kay, and Clive?”

“As far as I know. Kay mentioned inviting her new ‘friend’ Gerald, but I think that fell through.”

“Gerald? The hedge fund guy?”

I nod, searching for my favorite pair of sandals under the bed. “Yeah, they met at some charity gala last month. He’s on the board of that hospital where she volunteers.”

“Volunteers,” Holly repeats with air quotes. “You mean shows up for photo ops.”

“Holly,” I warn, though I can’t help smiling. Kay’s charitable endeavors are transparently self-serving, but I’ve learned to keep such observations to myself. Future mother-in-law and all that.

“Sorry, sorry,” Holly says, not looking sorry. “So just the four of you, then. That’s... intimate.”

The way she says “intimate” makes me pause in my packing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Holly shrugs too casually. “Nothing. Just that it’s a lot of togetherness with people who might have complicated feelings about each other right now.”

“It’ll be fine,” I say, waving her off. “Clive’s always been perfectly polite to me. He’s just... intense.”

“Intense, how?”

I consider this as I fold a floral sundress. “Clive watches everything. Like he’s calculating something in his head. And when he speaks, everyone listens.”

“Sounds hot,” Holly teases.

“Stop it!” I throw a bikini top at her, which she catches with a laugh. “He’s just different from Jack. More serious.”

“Different, how?”

I hesitate, not wanting to say anything that might sound disloyal to Jack. “Just... professional, I guess. He built that company from nothing. Jack says he’s ruthless in business.”

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